Haitian Creole language Mass planned for Sunday at Springfield church

Priest part of effort said Mass will bring Haitian Catholics together and serve their needs with service, confession.
Rev. John MacQuarrie, Patrick Joseph and Casey Rollins stand in front of St. Bernard Catholic Church in Springfield. MacQuarrie is pastor of Springfield's Catholic churches, Joseph is an immigrant from Haiti living in Springfield who volunteers with St. Vincent de Paul in Springfield and Rollins is board president and executive director at St. Vincent de Paul. A Mass in Haitian Creole is planned for St. Raphael in Springfield

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Rev. John MacQuarrie, Patrick Joseph and Casey Rollins stand in front of St. Bernard Catholic Church in Springfield. MacQuarrie is pastor of Springfield's Catholic churches, Joseph is an immigrant from Haiti living in Springfield who volunteers with St. Vincent de Paul in Springfield and Rollins is board president and executive director at St. Vincent de Paul. A Mass in Haitian Creole is planned for St. Raphael in Springfield
News
By Jessica Orozco
Oct 19, 2023
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In order to “meet the spiritual needs” of Catholic Haitian immigrants in the area, a Haitian Creole language Mass will be held on Sunday afternoon at St. Raphael Church.

The Mass will be held on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at St. Raphael Church in Springfield, Casey Rollins, executive director of Springfield’s St. Vincent de Paul Society, said Thursday. The Rev. Fritz Valcin of Columbus will administer the Mass. Confession will be held at 3 p.m. at the church.

The Rev. John MacQuarrie, pastor for all Springfield and South Charleston Catholic churches, said he does Mass at five churches, and Haitian immigrants attend all of them.

He said, “When they gather and sing, they’re very joyous.”

“It very soon became obvious — it’s been a year now we’ve been really seeing them (Haitians), and I’m sure the influx was before that where the growth has been considerable — we have to meet their spiritual needs,” MacQuarrie said.

MacQuarrie said it is important for Catholics to attend confession, be able to receive spiritual counsel and to have baptisms — all in a language they fully understand.

Anyone is welcome to attend the Mass intended to serve the Haitian community, which has grown over the last five or six years to an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 people.

“Our parish is looking forward to serving the community, befriending new people, and sharing in their culture,” the St. Joseph/St. Raphael Parish shared on Facebook.

Valcin received special permission to put on the Mass, as Springfield is part of the Cincinnati diocese and Valcin is in the Columbus diocese, MacQuarrie said.

MacQuarrie said Valcin is a Haitian immigrant and has been in the U.S. for more than 10 years. He described the priest as a “joyful man” and said he will give the Mass in Springfield right after doing one or two in downtown Columbus.

“I’m very, very happy we’ve got him,” MacQuarrie said.

Future Haitian Creole language Masses will likely be planned, but a schedule and specific future plans are dependent on Sunday’s turnout and the needs that are expressed, MacQuarrie said. He said if 100 people turn out, he will be “jumping up and down,” but he will be happy if 50 people attend.

“We want them to understand that we’re there for them,” MacQuarrie said.

MacQuarrie said the church is working on getting the word out through Facebook and the community. He said he wants the Haitian immigrant community to know that they are cared for and wanted here.

“Jesus’ arms are wide open for everyone; the gospel is universal,” MacQuarrie said. “It should be brought everywhere.”

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About the Author

Jessica Orozco covers crime, courts, government and more in Clark County for the Springfield-News Sun. She previously covered crime and courts for The Lima News, and before that, Orozco interned at The Columbus Dispatch on the metro desk. Orozco has a bachelor of arts in journalism from Ohio State University, from where she graduated in May 2022.